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Course in Weight Loss: 21 Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering Your Weight Forever

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For so many people, whether your addiction is to a substance or merely to a certain way of thinking or acting, a profound humbling occurs when you realise that your problem is bigger than you are. The terror of realising, even dimly, that you have no control over a self-destructive pattern of behaviour - that as much as you would want to, you simply cannot stop - can mark a crucial turning point in your life. At that point, you go in one of two either way, way down, or way, way up...This book is for you if you know in your heart that you are an addict, and that you are powerless before your addictive behaviour. As the title promises, Marianne Williamson looks at weight loss from a spiritual perspective, bringing you 30 lessons that can be done separately or in conjunction with any other serious spiritual path. These 30 lessons are completely separate from anything related to diet or exercise - they will retrain your consciousness in the area of weight in order to break the cycle of over-eating, dieting, and shame that rules so many lives. Finally, Marianne has brought you what you've been waiting help to heal your addiction once and for all.

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 2, 2010

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2161 people want to read

About the author

Marianne Williamson

459 books2,333 followers
Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed lecturer, activist, and author with six New York Times bestsellers. Her books include Tears to Triumph, A Return to Love, A Year of Miracles, The Law of Divine Compensation, The Gift of Change, The Age of Miracles, Everyday Grace, A Woman's Worth, Illuminata, and A Course in Weight Loss. She has been a popular guest on television programs such as Oprah and Good Morning America.

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5 stars
713 (36%)
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540 (27%)
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468 (23%)
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156 (7%)
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101 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
Profile Image for Joanna Vaught.
Author 7 books25 followers
December 31, 2010
ugh you guys. i'm sorry. i know you are like, "joanna. why did you read this?" i don't even know. i am an agnostic! i don't know what i was thinking. i read part of it in o magazine (i know!) and it was nice! it was about reclaiming the healthy aspects of yourself and letting go of the self-sabotaging part of yourself that thinks an appropriate way to fix a bad mood might be a cookie and a hot toddy, and i was like, "oh hey this is nice. and is stimulating some thoughts," and i never imagined that this would be a book which would involve a lesson where you (i am not even kidding here) BUILD AN ALTAR and place said book on the altar with candles and flowers and some shit and PRAY TO GOD for him to heal you and your fucked up relationship with food. at that point, i said outloud, "oh you have got to be kidding," and then i read the rest of the book for laughs. FOR LAUGHS.

so if you want to read a book for laughs, i give this five stars, actually. A+++ highly recommend.
Profile Image for Maral.
1 review
Currently reading
February 24, 2011
I am almost done reading this book. It is very interesting and inspiring so far. I recommend this book to anyone who believes in Spirituality, not necessarily organized religion but believes in God. The book reminds you how mind and body are connected and how much God and connecting to him could help you in your weight loss journey. The book also awakes your subconscious mind inviting you to heal your inner fears that may hold you back from being dedicated to losing weight.

What I enjoy the most from reading this book is the style that Marianne Williamson (the author) uses to explain her point and the significance of it. Even though she does a lot of encouragements to try the healing methods that she is explaining for weight loss, her tone is not pushy in any way. She makes you want to follow her guidance without giving you any feelings of guilt even if you are not fully successful in the process.
Profile Image for Jennifer Huddleston-kelley.
3 reviews8 followers
July 18, 2012
I didn't want to like this book, actually I'm not sure I like it at all. I am reading it because my over eating is making me uncomfortable and unhappy. What I am doing is fighting to keep an open mind and making an effort to do the exercises and as a result, I'm making better choices and I haven't been bingeing. I have been surprised that thus far it hasn't been a struggle. I know there are those who dislike the book because of the focus on God--some might appreciate the approach used in many 12 step programs where one is encouraged to choose their own conception of a Higher Power.
Profile Image for Roxanne.
20 reviews6 followers
March 23, 2011
An amazing self-help book for women who find it difficult to lose weight due to emotional issues. Don't read this until you're ready to do the work though.
1 review
October 26, 2013
Love it! Totally amazing! I hv been dealing with my weight since I have been a teen. I have been dealing with finding myself since I was 30. Now at the sweet age of 49 I am doing the fun stuff aka the really hard stuff of removing the carpet and clean up years and years of unneeded unwanted dust ;) and thinking its time to go with the natural floor look. Heck! Let's get rid of the floor too ;D

If you are curious...get this book. It may not be what you can handle today but one day, if you are ready you will find it at the bottom of a shelf and say HEY! I need it. Or you will through out and some one falls over it and says Thank you God! Honestly if I would hv had this book as a teen, I would of said 'what's this crap'...what can I say...sweet teens :p If I would of found it in my thirties while finding myself...well I was just trying to like me...gratefully I did find me and I really like me :D in my 40's I ripped off the bandaid (my poor husband) ouch! Put it back on! Then I found prayers by Ms Williamson and started up my meditating and prayed every day and night. A mth later I found this book....talk about the Miracle of healing! For the first time in my entire I am healing...My hubby is seeing another side of me that I lost back in my early girlhood...

Oh! Btw, have a note book ready to take, make and keep thoughts for this book. Or by the hard copy like I did. And mark up the pages :D
Profile Image for Betty.
18 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2012
Subtitle says it all: 21Spiritual Lessons for Surrendering your Weight Forever. Teaches taking care of our bodies as the holy temples that they are. Will change the way you think of what, how, & why you eat. High recommendation.
231 reviews6 followers
May 4, 2011
I have loved reading many things by Marianne Williamson in the past. So I looked forward to reading through this to see how I can better help myself as I attempt yet again to lose weight.

What I wasn’t expecting was how emotional this book would actually be. One of the core concepts behind this book is to get in touch your spirituality and healing your inner self. And you do this through exercises and journaling. If you are completely honest with the exercises and the journaling you can start to break through to the deep seated fears that may be keeping you fat.

I know that there were many things that I started looking at during these exercises. I know that I still have quite a long way to go on my journey, but at least I decided to take the first step.

This book may not be for everyone. You really have to be open to working through your issues. This isn’t a book that will give you instant solutions to your problems. It does provide you the tools to help you fix yourself.

In conjunction with the Wakela's World Disclosure Statement, I received a product in order to enable my review. No other compensation has been received. My statements are an honest account of my experience with the brand. The opinions stated here are mine alone.
24 reviews1 follower
December 9, 2010
I knew the book was a spiritual journey to weight loss, however, I didn't know it was going to be such a prayerful book. Some points are very valid, loving yourself enough to fuel your body with good foods and exercising and not being so ashamed of yourself that you pack on the pounds to become invisible. Just a little too much of the Diving Mind for my taste. Not what I expected.
Profile Image for Lupita Figueroa BookLoverRomantic.
436 reviews36 followers
February 19, 2020
Excelente. Este es un libro para mirar dentro de nosotras y recordar quiénes somos: seres radiantes. Gracias, Dios, por poner este libro en mis manos.

"La grasa es algo más que tejido celular inerte. Constituye el depósito de pensamientos y sentimientos distorsionados que no tenían otro sitio a donde ir".

Y esa es la gran verdad. Gracias, Marianne Williamson por escribir tan brillante obra que me hace alumbrar mi yo delgado.
Profile Image for Ralph N.
358 reviews22 followers
May 10, 2018
Pretty interesting overview of how to change your view about yourself, your health, and your relationship to food and exercise. It's based off of A Course in Miracles.
616 reviews7 followers
July 5, 2019
I only did the first 18 exercises. This book is a lot of work. It’s taken me a year!
Profile Image for Crissi.
Author 24 books177 followers
June 21, 2017
I started this book a few years back, but never finished. So recently while on vacation, I restarted it. Let me tell you, the best way to immerse yourself in these lessons is to do them while undistracted on vacation. I felt completely inspired as I read each chapter, and could feel love pouring out of every cell of my body.

And then I re-entered the real world, and I suddenly realized that loving myself and loving others is not so easy when you have a house full of teens, a stressful job, a neurotic high energy dog, a sink full of dishes, a pile of bills..... more than ever, I wanted to turn to food to ease the discomfort I'd left behind while on vacation.

This is exactly why this book became necessary. Every time I picked it up again, it reminded me to turn to God instead of food to bring me out of my misery. It taught me to be loving and gentle with myself, treating myself as a good friend instead of an enemy. It taught me that love is the answer for everything, even in weight loss.

I read this book quickly. I did many of the practices in the beginning of the book, particularly with journaling and reflection. But I skipped some of the more uncomfortable (or hokey) exercises. I think I'll probably work through this book again to dig deeper, and maybe do many of the exercises I skipped (even some of the hokey ones).

Marianne Williamson has a gentle loving voice in this book. Her writing style is easy to read, and it feels like she's a friend sitting with me as I worked through my weight issues. I definitely recommend this book to those who wish to turn around the weight battle, and who consider themselves spiritual. Those who don't believe in God or any divine being will not enjoy this book. But those who have even a little spirituality will find inspiration within these pages.
Profile Image for N.L. Riviezzo.
Author 54 books40 followers
December 17, 2010
I wasn't sure what I was expecting from a book with '21 Spiritual Lessons' as part of the sub-title. I primarily picked up the book because it touted combating compulsive overeating and a holistic approach to such. However, very little of it is of any use to someone who suffers from COE.

If you are one of those people who believe that God has the potential to cure you of anything that ails you, you'll probably get a lot from this book. (I am not one of these people but have all respect for those who do.)

If you are one who realizes that COE is a serious matter as is weight loss and is aware that combating such takes a great deal of mental/physical/emotional effort, you may find yourself wondering 'Why am I reading this book?'

While it did have some useful tidbits for helping with the emotional & mental effort aspects, it is generally worthless.
Profile Image for Lezlee Hays.
248 reviews35 followers
July 26, 2011
An excellent book with some very good lessons which really do aid in re-thinking a view of weight and food. A few of her suggestions I found slightly unhelpful, but only a few, the majority of her insights are very good and the course of actions she recommends are truly helpful and worthwhile. I'm starting over reading it again because there is a lot to digest even though it's not a very big book. Really processing the information takes time. But is worth it. I wouldn't let the title "spiritual" lessons throw you - I mean, maybe there are some people who have no belief in a spiritual side and maybe the book wouldn't be helpful for them, but I think most people could utilize the lessons here without having to embrace any particular belief system. It's really more about believing in yourself, regardless of any other spiritual or religious belief system you might have.
Profile Image for Donna D'Angelo Struck.
527 reviews27 followers
July 29, 2016
I think this is a fantastic approach to weight loss from a holistic perspective. My three star rating is not so much about content as it was that I listened to this book on audio while driving. I am glad I did, though, because I know I want to revisit the book at some point. There are guided meditations that would be nice to listen to on audio, as opposed to being read, but not while driving! I love Marianne Williamson's approach and style and feel she has a lot to teach me/us. I will re-visit this book at some future point.

PS: I should also note that she speaks of compulsive eating frequently and while I don't consider myself in this category a lot of her material applies broadly.
Profile Image for Christine.
182 reviews
May 24, 2011
According to this book, obviously I am not living completely up to A Course in Miracles or I wouldn't have added this extra poundage. But this book gives me hope that as I rededicate myself to connecting to the divine perfection in all people, offering only love and keeping vigilance for thoughts only of the divine, which is my truest deepest longing, my physical body will return to its true and original size. How wonderful that I *don't* have to try to think of these (spiritual growth and physical shrinkage) as distinct issues! I listened to the audio version (one 6hr49min track!). Probably want to borrow the print version from the library to take some notes.
Profile Image for marajhin.
74 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2021
Before you judge me, know that I bought this book about 8 years ago. With quarantine life, I decided to finish all the books I started and this was one of them.

This weight loss method is not one that resonates with me per say, but Marianne has a knack for creating prayers that ring like divine worship. Cue the harps and watch the golden light stream in. That is where the impact lies for me.

I have “Illuminata,” her book of prayers, and I really do enjoy how they are written.
Profile Image for Elena.
14 reviews
October 31, 2013
There are two parts in every chapter. The first part is written like some random rantings of a beginner life coach. The second part consists exercises. A few exercises were remarkable, but those specific exercises (talk to that part of yourself etc.) are typical exercises done by coaches and therapists since the beginning of time
Profile Image for Laura.
1,152 reviews
April 27, 2015
I found this book to be interesting with several good ideas but not exactly what I need. It suggests that you do one lesson a day and includes assignments or activities with each lesson. I did not do that. I can see how that could be effective, but it was not something I wanted to do. I especially liked the prayers in the book.
8 reviews
June 19, 2017
She made me really think of why I eat and what I am actually achieving by overeating
This spiritual therapy can be applied to any addiction. She make you speak to you fat self and skinny self and give them a voice back. So many times we do things that actually hurt ourselves for a temporarily fix. I have more insight of my actions and can examine my true feelings
Profile Image for Jennifer.
9 reviews4 followers
August 6, 2017
This book is not about nutrition for weight loss. It is about changing your thoughts to bring on physical change. There is a theme of connecting with a higher power to have a spiritual experience in order to bring on this new way of thinking.
42 reviews1 follower
October 25, 2019
Good

It's a good book for anyone that wants to deal with the root of a weightloss issue, and it's a spiritual solution to a spiritual problem.
2 reviews
October 24, 2021
The Truth Will Set You Free

From a loving mind and from the depths of my heart ——————- THANK YOU! And so it is. Amen Amen.
Profile Image for Carley.
31 reviews
July 4, 2023
I've seen a lot of negative reviews for this book but I am so glad I picked it up. I will preface this by saying that, if you want to enjoy it, you have to decipher the message according to your values and not judging it for it's title or the semi-religious content within. As to why I picked up the book, I have struggled with a binge eating disorder for a large portion of my life and I am also someone who considers themselves to be very spiritual (not devoutly religious). I had found this book because I was fascinated by Marianne Williamson as a 2024 US presidential candidate and hadn't realized that she was once a spiritual teacher for the likes of Oprah Winfrey.

The last time I had the healthiest relationship with my body I was meditating every day, eating whole-foods/plant-based and finding myself on a spiritual level. I wondered if this book could help revitalize this side of me that had been laying dormant during the last four years of my life where I had come up against a lot of personal struggle. This book now has hundreds of highlighted passages for my continued reflection. It covers the deep emotional trauma a person has when they are battling with food addiction and binge eating and leans on spiritualism to reaffirm a disposition of openness and acceptance.

This book gives you practical guidance on how to confront these feelings of discontent and fear, with compassion and love. Not only can it help with shaping your physical and emotional being, it can help with spiritual understanding at large. Why I prefaced this review as I did is because some of the content and practices weren't for me. I found writing a letter to my 'fat' self with hateful verbiage with the purpose of 'getting it out of you' was unproductive. I've done that for too long to regress back to those behaviors while I am trying to reform healthier neural pathways. With that said, other perspectives Marianne brings to this book really helped me lean into some of the emotional responses that have been keeping me from treating my body and mind right. To further express this, I want to share a few of my favorite passages:

"You are not weaker or more wounded, better or worse, than others; each of us is home to a great contest between the forces of fear and the forces of love."

"Every overeater has head them a million times: the admonishments of weight loss. You've got to stick to your diet, commit to the process, stay with it no matter what, discipline yourself to "just do it", and so forth. Yet such admonishments only add to your anxiety; if you were able to consistently be there for yourself, you wouldn't be an overeater to begin with. While over eating would be seen as some as an indulgence of self, it is in fact, a profound rejection of self."

"Looking back into your childhood isn't about figuring out whom you can blame, or building a case to justify feelings of victimization. It's simply about identifying your wound so the medicine of love can be applied correctly."

I will end this, already lengthy, review with one final thought: if your interest is being piqued by this book in whatever way. Give it a chance. I believe in your ability to distinguish the useful information from the less useful information without someone else interfering. When it comes to eating disorders, spirituality, childhood trauma, generalized trauma, fear and love; there are a lot of positive takeaways from this book and I would recommend it to a friend if they were struggling the same way I have been.
390 reviews
February 5, 2026
This book is being very effective for me. I listen to the audiobook from the library every day. Sometimes I let it play while I’m sleeping, especially when I go through a period where my appetite feels unending.

I was able to renew the Audiobook, which is fantastic. It is well worth my purchasing it if I ever cannot renew it.

I have made progress in many areas in the ways that I think about food and eating. In the way, I process emotions about food and eating.

And I have made progress in my food and eating habits. I keep a daily log of the time and the calories and the protein. My calorie intake has definitely decreased, and my protein intake is about the same.

Many times I’ll have a thought about getting some food at home or stopping somewhere, and it feels like a pleasant feeling. And now this loving part of me comes up and says why would you want to do this? And I realize that I am not hungry. That I am current with the healthy things I need to eat. That it would be an unnecessary expense that would not really move my day forward. I am finding real comfort within and in other ways. Rather than trying to comfort myself with food that hurts me in the long run.

This book would be helpful to me, even if I was at my ideal weight. It is helping me to see, and see beyond, so many of my issues with Food and Eating.

I am very happy with this book.

I ran across a preowned print copy of the book for a great price, and decided to just stay with the Audiobook.

Her voice helps me.

I was not a fan of hers before this. This book just keeps getting better and better as I move along.

I am grateful.
Profile Image for Kate.
46 reviews14 followers
September 10, 2025
I love Marianne Williamson but this was not it. While the philosophy of the course in miracles can be and should be applied to many aspects of life, Marianne Williamson is severely misguided in thinking that weight gain is simply a matter of eating too much, or eating too much of the wrong things, instead of the truth which is a complicated web of overlapping issues. I gained the most amount of weight in my life when I was eating the least. For her to encourage to use this thinking to eat less, instead of applying it to soothing a nervous system, to encouraging healing, to dealing with the added anxiety and stress of health complications, injuries or everyday stress that is often the real factors behind many peoples weight gain is a massive loss overall. It adds to the significant growing mountain of misinformation about weight gain, by applying it as the result of bad habits through bad eating, which again sends a large majority of us seeking help from the wrong direction.
Profile Image for Alison.
956 reviews272 followers
July 20, 2020
Although, for many who might be turned off with all the God talk, if you are willing to wade through it, there are some really great tips on the psychology of weight-loss, many others have leaned into including The Gabriel Method, where what you think and feel have a great deal to do with not only how you lose weight but also how you got there and how to keep it off. The idea that fear and trauma are the underlying causes and only getting through it, confronting it, will help with the weight-loss. For those who are religious, the prayers and asking for hope from the divine, will also be of aid. The 21 lessons are about acceptance to understanding rather than an actual physical diet, where emotions and the mind are what are holding you back from losing those pounds and keeping them off. Some great insightful ideas, just got to get through the waffle to find it.
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